Welcome back to another "episode" of Mythbusting: presenting facts to dispel untrue statements circulating online. This time let's take a look at the claim that H.R. Giger was upset that he did not get credit on 1986's Aliens. It's completely not true, and it's a mixup with the situation from Alien 3.
First of all, Giger DID get credit in the end credits like in the original movie, at James Cameron's personal request, for which he was publicly very grateful. He only spoke highly of James Cameron throughout the decades (See HERE). Cameron made sure he was taken care of, and he was also given a cut of the merchandise, which was a pleasant surprise for him. Cameron also wrote him a letter apologizing for not using him the movie and giving his reasons for it (See HERE)
'Aliens' novelization is also dedicated solely to H. R. Giger
H.R.Giger: "For the second film they used my Alien, but I didn't say anything. I didn't know how or what, I was busy with another film and what's-his-name apologised, Cameron wrote me a nice letter and explained why I hadn't been hired and so on , she he had, oh well, various reasons but a very nice letter, and, but I did think how this was going to work, and then they payed me for the second Alien's merchandise use, yes, that reassured me" [about working on Alien 3] (extra material from Alien: Evolution Documentary)
Giger in 'Aliens' End Credits
The situation that this rumor originates from is actually from Alien 3. It was on Alien 3 that Giger was hired but let go after sending first ideas and sketches, and the Alien design was taken over by Studio ADI. Since Giger's designs were discarded, originally he wasn't given a credit for it. However, since some vague ideas were incorporated in the final design (the lack of back pipes, more human looking lips - although that was supposedly Fincher's idea), he felt he deserved a credit, even if he disliked the design that ended up in the movie
H.R. Giger: “ In the third film, I wasn't treated very well by Fox (...). "I think that Century Fox hired me, so that they could get the copyright, so that they could take my Alien, use it again in the future" (...) when it came out, they described it on the poster as if I hadn't been involved at all. And what they did was they put: basic Alien design by H R Giger, and of course that means that I might as well not have been involved at all. That's what they would have put if I hadn't been hired at all, they would have put it like that, but actually it must be phrased differently. they should have put: Alien 3 design by H R Giger, whereas these words have been used by Woodruff and Gillis, my competition who suddenly turned up and made themselves at home, and then I put a complaint in via my lawyer” (Outtakes from Alien: Evolution Documentary)
Indeed, there is no mention of Giger on any of the posters, US or European
H.R. Giger: “ Working on Alien 3 was a nightmare . My main mistake was to think that my work on the film would be as one I had done on Alien . Fox never actually hired me on this project , all they were able to do is to sign a contract to me a month and I found myself sketching and fax them. They always kept me from coming on the set and did not bother to change my work according to their desires. And to top it all, I 've just been credited as the original creator of Alien , which suggested that I had not been involved at all in this production. It took a long legal procedure so that my participation is recognized on video copies of the film.” (Elegy #4, 1999)
Opening and ending Giger credits in Alien 3
Gillis and Woodruff got a credit for designing Alien Effects instead
There's this misconception spread online that there was some sort of animosity from the original's creators towards the second film, which creates multiple myths based on itself that are completely not true.